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April 29, 2005
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Dawson's Book Shop
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Suzan Filipek
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THIRD GENERATION owner Michael Dawson took over in 1995.
City’s oldest book shop—Dawson’s turned 100
If you’re looking for a rare or out-of-print book—maybe something on citrus growing from the 17th century, cowboy artists or adventures of a ‘49er—Dawson’s Book Shop is the place to go.
Located on a quiet stretch of Larchmont Blvd., the third-generation run store opened 100 years ago last month.
The oldest book shop in the city—and the oldest antiquarian book-seller in Southern California—specializes in books on California and Western American history, and, more recently, photography.
Ernest Dawson opened the family business in April 1905 at 713 S. Broadway.
There were several locations in downtown Los Angeles, before the shop moved in 1968 at 535 N. Larchmont Blvd.
When Ernest died in 1947, the business was managed by his sons Glen and Muir.
Glen, 92, was at the centennial anniversary celebration last month. A memorial service was also held for Muir, who died two months previ-ously, at 83.
Muir’s son, Michael took over the business in 1995. A photographer, he expanded the business to include photography, and he opened an art gallery.
The 3,500-square foot shop carries about 7,000 books, a fraction of the volumes lining shelves in pictures of stores from prior years.
To survive competition from a worldwide market, Dawson’s has become more specialized, says Michael.
Recent projects—Dawson’s has published close to 400 titles to date—include a book of platinum prints of Navajos, the Arizona desert and other scenes by Adam Clark Vroman, 1895-1904.
Vroman’s Bookstore in Pasadena, opened in 1894, is the oldest store in Southern California, he notes.
When Michael’s grandfather Ernest opened his store in 1905—the same year he graduated from high school—he had $100 in his pocket. Soon he made his first purchase— 2,300 books from the Salvation Army at a penny apiece. He sold one soon afterwards for $2.50.
In 1907 he issued the first catalogue of rare books in Los Angeles—credited with helping to bring Los Angeles into the rare book market. Early store catalogues were indexed for years at the UCLA Powell Li-brary. The Dawson brothers also worked with the research libraries at USC and Yale, among others.
Book-buying expeditions to London, Paris and Rome reaped large wooden crates of books, shipped via the Panama Canal to California.
In 1922, the shop moved to 627 S. Grand Ave., where it became a gath-ering place for artists, writers and academics who shared a passion for books, and included actor Edward G. Robinson and Estelle Doheny. Ernest served as director and president of the Sierra Club where he befriended Ansel Adams.
Cultural discussions continue with Dawson’s Los Angeles Salon, an on-going series featuring dialogue with writers, architects and photog-raphers.
Like his father, Michael is a collector of books. The business end is as challenging as ever. “I have to stay on my toes,” he says.
As his late father, Muir, wrote in an essay to be published later this year for the store’s centennial:
“It is questionable if publishing by booksellers at present is a mon-eymaking activity, but it certainly is fun.”
Dawson’s Book Shop: A Pictorial History, 1905-2005 is on exhibit through Sat., May 14 at Dawson’s, 535 N. Larchmont Blvd. It’s also online at www.dawsonbooks.com |
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Larchmont Chronicle
542½ North Larchmont Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90004
Editor & Publisher: Jane Gilman
Associate Publisher: Irwin Gilman
Established 1963
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Copyright 2010 Larchmont Chronicle
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